A few words from Director Mark Charney
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Dr. Mark Charney, Directo
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So my wife and I just returned from celebrating our 30
th
anniversary in London, where we dedicated ourselves to seeing one or two plays a day for well over a week. Some colleagues would call this a "busman's holiday," a term that means "a vacation during which a person engages in activity that is the same or similar to his or her usual employment." But Sappho and I are fortunate in that we both adore theatre, and the best use of our time abroad, along with museums, bookstores, and restaurants, is spent watching worlds unfold on stage. No "busman's holiday" this.
Almost everyone I know in this School, from faculty to student, feels the same way: we love our art, and if given the opportunity, we spend time learning by observing and practicing. That's why many of us don't honestly take a summer vacation, at least not the type most folks think of as vacationing. Our students are working everywhere this summer, many designers in Creede with their Rep Theatre courtesy of a terrific partnership created partially by Assistant Professor Matt Schlief and MFA grad Rick Reeves; one interning at the O'Neill for her Arts Administration degree for over three months of grueling but exciting work; a few up in West Virginia directing and acting in a production of
Footloose
that goes up in only
eleven
days of rehearsal; some doing Shakespeare up in Colorado; another representing us in Galway at the Eugene O'Neill Conference; others working with Clay Martin up at Trinity Rep, continuing our good work with students on the spectrum; and many of them here working with the 24 artists that represent WildWind Performance Lab this June or another 20 learning the art of devised theatre with Rich Brown, playwriting Doug Wright (yes,
that
Doug Wright-the Pulitzer Prize winning author of
I Am My Own Wife
and
War Paint
), and Shannon Robert in Marfa, Texas. And of course these are just the few opportunities
that come to mind.
Those of you who regularly read this newsletter have heard most of this before, but you should know that ahead for us, we have the second summer of WildWind dance; a revised WildWind that also includes developing our first musical; a new devised prompt in Marfa exploring "borders"; another professional play being rehearsed this summer to take to the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival this fall with a combination of our students, faculty, and outside actors; two new faculty in dance, including a new Head of the Program, Charlotte Boye-Christensen and an Assistant Professor, Tanya Calamoneri; Jesse Jou as our new tenure-track directing hire; and, we hope, Leigh Anne Crandall, one of our MFA's in Costume Design, returning for a year as Visiting Assistant Professor...all just a few of the changes that represents our dedication to the future of our program.
And our faculty is everywhere-Linda Donahue is in Seville, teaching and mentoring; Bill Gelber just returned from Germany where he researched his upcoming book on Brecht; Matt Schlief is in Creede, teaching and creating; Ali Duffy is completing her Ph.D....just to name a few. And I couldn't be more proud to work under a new Dean, Noel Zahler, whose vision of excellence is only eclipsed by his dedication to our new building and our School's status as a national and international presence.
And, finally, I have to thank our patron, Herb Armstrong, who, among others, has dedicated funding that helps us to provide so many experiential educational opportunities for our students and keeps our many programs alive. His generosity, along with those of you who have seen fit to support our endeavors, keeps us thriving, as do all of you who come to our shows, hire our students, and support our partnerships.
Theatre and dance are art forms that represent the best in collaborative efforts, and our audiences remain our most important collaborators. Thanks for all that you do, and please know that we have much to look forward to in the year ahead-from breaking ground for our new space to a season that explores the best in theatre and dance. We hope to see you present at each event, and we will keep you posted this summer through our WildWind and Marfa newsletters on events as they happen. Do attend our new play readings, and if you travel, see as much theatre and dance as you can. Our art form cannot happen in a vacuum, and audiences,
you, represent our reason for being.
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Congrats to Our Spring of 2017 Grads!
BA Dance
Morgan Fowler
Peyton Peterson
Megan Reyna
BA Theatre Arts
Ashley Beverly
Brittaineé Francois-Hearne
Jennifer Ringer
Natalie Mayo
BFA Acting
Isiah Columbus
Savannah Cooper
BFA Design/Technology
Athena Flusche
Jordan Shaw
MFA Design
Imma Curl
Rick Reeves
MFA Performance & Pedagogy
Kelsey Fisher-Waits
Sara Skar
Interdisciplinary PhD in Fine Arts
Nicholas Ewen
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Phase One Begins on Expansion
By Andrea Bilkey
Spring finals week: the marker of endings and new beginnings. Students packing up after another year of courses, or planning their next steps after finishing their degrees. Today Brad, our School's custodian, pointed out a baby robin in a tree outside the entrance to the theatre annex. It made me take pause, very soon that tree will no longer be in that location: more change is coming and much like that little bird, our School is spreading its wings.
This year time has been ever present on my mind: at this writing I'm finishing my 15
th
academic year here and from the first day I've heard whispers on the wind about plans for renovations and expansions for our building.
15 years ago, I stepped onto the Texas Tech campus to interview for a new position and was enamored by the campus, the students, and the faculty and staff of the then Department of Theatre and Dance. With only one studio and a few offices, dance was housed in the old women's gym close by: just a block down the street from the theatre building. The theatre building housed a small thrust space and a larger proscenium space, a handful of offices, one set of backstage support rooms (2 dressing rooms and a makeup room), a scene shop just barely the size of a 3-car garage, and just one single all-purpose meeting room/lunchroom/classroom/green room for everything else.
The theatre annex housed a small design classroom and offices for the graduate teaching assistants
. For a while this was sustainable. Barely.
15 years later, we have grown in both size and scope to include a family of 9 full time and 1 part time staff, 5 dance faculty, 3 dance instructors, and 16 theatre faculty. The need for a new dorm meant that the Dance program of our unit needed to be moved, first for one year temporarily in an alternate space before ultimately moving across campus in a portion of the old men's gym, now known as the Creative Movement Studio (the CMS) which houses 1 rehearsal/performance space, 1 additional rehearsal space, 1 classroom, 2 changing rooms, and a few offices. The main theatre building has remained within the same footprint through this explosion of growth over the past 15 years. Having now far-exceeded the capacity of our theatre building, we find ourselves holding classes in buildings all around campus, our costume shop is now in Weeks Hall, and our design labs and TA offices are in the basement of the National Wind Institute.
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Purple flags indicate locations for the School of Theatre and Dance
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It has been a wild ride: imagine if you will a day in the life of an undergraduate
theatre performance student. Your day begins with conditioning at the CMS, followed by a core curriculum class in the BA building. Next you head to costume fitting in Weeks Hall with lunch on the way, then back to English 160 for an acting class. Now for a couple hours of work in the scene shop and stages at the theatre, followed by professional career management at the design classroom over in the National Wind Institute. Now there is just enough time to detour on the walk back to pick up dinner or to retrieve and move your vehicle before heading into 3 or 4 hours of rehearsal for the show in which you have been cast. As you can imagine, a lot of energy and time is used just in getting from place to place before any learning or creative work even begins.
Thankfully, due to the generous support from the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Foundation and the University, the winds of change are no longer carrying just
whispers and over the course of this past year we have been immersed in the planning meetings for the first phase: the north expansion to meet our immediate needs, plus a scene shop expansion to the south.
The north expansion will house the new black box (which is replacing the lab theatre), new back-of-house facilities (dressing rooms, makeup room, greenroom, catering for events), a large shared lobby, new box office, two rehearsal rooms, one production collaboration lab, one computer lab with voiceover recording room, three classrooms, two vocal practice rooms, our main office suite, and just enough faculty and staff offices.
When phase 1 is complete, we can imagine that our day in the life of an undergraduate theatre student will be different: your day still begins with conditioning at the CMS, followed by a core curriculum class in the BA building. But then you head to the theatre building and can stay until your costume fitting in Weeks Hall, after which you'll return to the theatre for the rest of the day, condensing your movements which enables more focus on your learning and creative work. When phase 2 is complete, the costume shop will be brought back to the theatre building, further streamlining the student's and production staff's day.
We are almost overwhelmed with excitement to consider how our days will function once the building is whole: how there will be more time and resources available, and how our work will further rise to the challenges and opportunities set before us.
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Theatre and Dance Student Earns Fulbright Grant
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| Erin Grogan |
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Erin Grogan, a doctoral fine arts candidate in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is one of three Texas Tech students this year to receive a grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
This fall Erin will travel to Ireland to conduct research studying Irish identity on stage. She is interested in both the turn of the 20th century, when nationalism was at the forefront of Irish culture as well as contemporary creations of identity.
"I'm really looking forward to the culture. Of course, I'll be there conducting archival research, but I'll also get a chance to see Irish theatre and experience Irish lifestyles on a daily basis," Grogan said. "My main goal is to come back with a very solid foundation for my dissertation. Outside of my research, I hope to immerse myself in Irish culture and create lasting memories and connections."
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Follow the WildWind Performance Lab on Facebook!
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Duclo in China
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Dakota Duclo
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After graduating in May of 2014 from Texas Tech, Dakota Duclo decided to make the leap, and moved to China to work with a children's and touring theatre. We caught up with Dakota to learn more about his experience.
What have you been doing since you graduated from TTU?
I've been keeping my focus in acting and directing in various film and theater projects there in the states, as well as overseas.
What led to your tour in China?
At the time, I was offered 3 different positions, so everything sort of came at once. I was offered a position as an acting coach in Chicago with a local studio, a position in Columbus directing live television segments, and then a job in mainland China as an actor/director and instructor for youth and adult touring theater. As I'd worked a number of different jobs in the print modeling and acting fields in both Chicago and Columbus already, I decided to head overseas to China.
How is it different (or the same) as performing for audiences in the US?
It's not the same. China is a world all its own. It's an adjustment, and if you can't adjust, you will literally not keep a stable mindset. The producers and/or people in control of production can be very difficult to work with due to cultural barriers. It's essentially a game...and you have to learn how to play it. As such, if you're an artist who prides oneself on performing live for an audience whilst maintaining an aura of attention and respect, revaluate. Every phone and camera will be out, present, and snapping whilst you take the stage.
I've since relocated to Hong Kong, which is a far different environment from China and much more westernized.
Who or what was your greatest influence while you were at TTU?
Full disclosure: When entering Tech, I was in a bad place. Dealing with things I won't mention in detail. Regardless, I carried these things with me as a weight and chose to let it dictate me. It was my graduate instructor Hannah Schweinfurth (then known as Hannah McKinney) and Dr. Jim Bush who woke me up and helped me push forward. I was then mentored by great instructors such as Dr. Bill Gelber and Dr. Mark Charney who helped me rediscover the passion for what I was doing. These individuals have assisted in my rebirth as an artist and essentially, as a person.
What words of advice would you give to young performers at TTU who are looking for a career in theatre or film or television?
Make yourself present in places you will stand out. Be in the place where YOU will be most marketable. The big 3 (Chicago, NY, LA) are not easy places to thrive, especially when there are thousands upon thousands of people who look and sound like you do. Hunt for the areas where film and theatre are prevalent, yet aren't overrun with people who are just like you. It's not a question of talent, it's a question of being present.
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Poster for Dakota's Latest Show
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MAINSTAGE
October 19-22, 2017
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
As the soldiers return to Messina to take up their civilian lives, the after-shocks of the war affect them and
the people they care about. Benedick and Beatrice, former lovers, swear they will never reconcile, while their friends make other plans for them. Claudio, battle weary, wonders if Hero will have him for a husband. Don John bitterly plots trouble for them all, while the bumbling town guards may or may not foil his evil scheme. Shakespeare's comic masterpiece is also a bittersweet battle of the sexes.
November 30-December 3, 2017
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South West Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
By Jackie Sibblies Drury
Directed by Jesse Jou
In the present day, an acting troupe comes together to create a performance about the little-known decimation of the Herero people in turn-of-the-century colonial Africa. As they stumble through their increasingly charged rehearsals, the performers begin to unravel the thorny knot of race and power that reaches from Sudwestafrika to modern America. At turns darkly comedic, wildly theatrical, and deeply moving, We Are Proud to Present... explores how the echoes of a forgotten history reverberate with us today.
Adult content, including racialized language and violent situations
March 1-4, 2018
The Nether
By Jennifer Haley
Directed by Patrick Midgley
In the near future, the internet becomes The Nether: a realm of complete sensory immersion, indiscernible from reality. Just log in, select your identity, and indulge your every desire.
But when a young detective uncovers a disturbing new brand of entertainment within The Nether, she begins an interrogation as vast and as disturbing as the human imagination.
Half hard-boiled crime drama, half sci-fi thriller, this winner of the 2012 Susan Smith Blackkburn Prize explores the darkest intersections of technology and human desire.
Adult content including themes of pornography, child pornography, and child violence
April 12-15 & April 19-22, 2018
Little Women
Music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and book by Allen Knee
Directed by Ronald Dean Nolen; Musical direction by Adam Day Howard
Great American novelist Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women takes the form of the Great American Musical in this heartwarming adaptation. Originally produced on Broadway in 2005, you can experience the March Sisters' journey from childhood to young adulthood, discovering along the way the values of life, love, and family. Impeccably composed music and a beautifully crafted story make this a must-see for every family and every theatre-goer!
May 3-5, 2018
DanceTech: ChoreoRealities
Choreography by TTU Dance Faculty
In DanceTech: ChoreoRealities, the TTU Dance faculty invite viewers to experience differing choreographic explorations inspired by current issues in Western cultures and American politics. The University Dance company, performing choreography by award-winning TTU faculty and guest artists, will explore the intersections between truth, hope, peace, fear, and aggression.
LAB THEATRE
October 2-8, 2017
Belleville
By Amy Herzog
Directed by Zach Dailey
Set against the idyllic backdrop of Parisian Christmastime, Amy Herzog's Belleville examines the young picture-perfect marriage of expatriates Zack and Abby. The couple has recently moved to the French capital for two reasons: a fresh start for Abby, who has recently recovered from her mother's death, and a prestigious job opportunity for Zack as a researcher for Doctors Without Borders. Their home is a top floor apartment in the hip neighborhood of Belleville, famous for its street art and city views. Yes, for the newlyweds, it seems the sky's the limit.
But not all is well in the City of Love (or is it the City of Lights?). Winner of the 2012 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award and a Finalist for the 2013 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Herzog's thrilling piece is a new spin on the age-old question: when you lay your head down at night, who truly is the person lying next to you?
Language; partial nudity
November 13-19, 2017
Next to Normal
Book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey; music by Tom Kitt
Directed by Katie Hahn
The Goodmans are the perfect family...or so it appears. The winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey is a powerhouse rock musical that takes an unflinching look at a suburban family struggling with the effects of mental illness. Matriarch Diana has battled manic depression for sixteen years, all while trying to hold her family of four together with the help of her husband Dan. When a new psychiatrist enters her life, Diana is forced to confront the break deep within her being and distinguish what separates disease from reality. As Diana descends farther into despair, her family must grapple with the fallout in such a way that demands the question: "Who's crazy-the one who's uncured? Or maybe the one who's endured?"
February 5-11, 2018
Passion Play
By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Lauren Miller
Hailed by the New Yorker's John Lahr as "extraordinary", "bold", and "inventive", Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play takes us behind the scenes of three communities attempting to stage the death and resurrection of Christ. From Queen Elizabeth's England to Hitler's Germany to Reagan's America, Ruhl's exploration of devotion takes us on a humorous yet unsettling journey filled with lust, whimsy, and a lot of fish.
STUDIO PRODUCTIONS (Creative Movement Studio)
Fall Dance Festival is an evening of original dance pieces by Texas Tech University student choreographers.
An evening of short, original one-act plays is the subject of Raider Red's One-Act play Spectacular by Texas Tech University student playwrights.
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